>>Hilmar,
>>
>>Back in the late eighties, I decided that since there were two ways to use an input mask for numeric input (the other is "99:99"), I'd differentiate how I'd use them.
>>
>>If the control source was, indeed, numeric, then I'd use the "#" character. If, however, the control source was actually text, such as a zip code or, in your case, a time, then I'd use "9".
>>
>>This gives me the advantage of knowing, simply by looking at the mask, what data type the control source is.
>
>Are the two really equivalent? I am not sure about the help file in this case.

I believe so. I've never seen a problem with this technique over the last 10+ years.